Herman Cain came to Newt Gingrich’s defense Friday morning, saying CNN’s decision to ask the candidate about his ex-wife in Thursday night’s debate was “the same crap that they pulled on me.”

“I loved Newt Gingrich’s response because that’s the same crap that they pulled on me, and that’s what’s wrong with politics. This is what’s turning the American people off,” Cain said on Fox News. “What does something that happened 20 years ago relative to an ex-wife have to do with fixing America’s problems today? Nothing.”

Cain, whose own presidential campaign crumbled after allegations of extramarital affairs surfaced late last year, said repeatedly that he “loved” seeing how his former rival “shoved it back in their face” from the debate stage.

And while he didn’t specify which part of the debate he was referring to, Cain also mentioned that his wife, Gloria, had “used the word ‘nasty’” to describe the debate.

“She said it just got downright nasty. And it did — the parts that I was able to see,” he said. “So it was kind of nasty, but it was entertaining for a lot of people.”

Cain’s comments come one day after Gingrich’s ex-wife Marianne Gingrich charged in an interview that her ex-husband had asked her for an “open marriage” while they were still married so he could be with his then-mistress Callista.

When he was asked about the interview at the beginning of Thursday’s CNN-sponsored debate, the former House speaker unleashed a tirade against the network and host John King, saying, “I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that.”

Meanwhile, the Tea Party Express announced Thursday that Cain will deliver the tea party’s response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address next week.

“Herman Cain has been a steadfast advocate for the values of the tea party and the practical solutions needed to solve the problems that face our nation. By following President Obama, Cain will have an opportunity to square off with the failed policies of the Obama administration,” said Sal Russo, chief strategist of the Tea Party Express.

The Tea Party Express has not backed any of the Republican candidates in the 2012 field. Amy Kremer, the chairwoman of the organization, told POLITICO on Thursday that she would not be joining the 100 tea party leaders who announced their support for Newt Gingrich.

“I think it’s great that he has that support. But I can’t speak to why they’ve chosen to support Newt,” she said. “We have not decided yet. We could make an endorsement — it’s a real possibility that we may — but at this point, we have not decided.”

In a speech at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference in Charleston, S.C.,on Thursday, Cain revealed his “unconventional endorsement” for the 2012 presidential race: “the people.” The ex-candidate is also scheduled to appear at a rally on Friday with comedian Stephen Colbert, who has been urging voters to choose Cain in Saturday’s primary.